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Dr Moniz is coming to Sevenoaks to broaden his practice, and provide an Osteoporosis Clinical Service to advise on medical treatments, calcium and vitamin D disorders.

Optimising bone health throughout life by lifestyle measures is important to reduce the burden of bone loss and osteoporotic fractures in later life. One in four women after the menopause is prone to a vertebral compression fracture which causes pain and disability and alters quality of life. More importantly, the patients’ self-confidence and ability to perform daily activities is greatly affected.

This in turn results in abnormal stresses being put on other bones and joints further exacerbating pain and disability. It has been shown that after the first fragility fracture, the likelihood of another fracture within a year is increased 20 fold if steps are not taken for prevention. There are osteoporosis medications that help protect the skeleton from further bone loss and help maintain or build-up bone and thereby future fractures. It is the loss of confidence however, and ability to do normal day activities that most distresses patients. In order to make the patient’s journey as smooth as possible, together with our Physiotherapists at the Centre, Dr Moniz plans to develop special Osteoporosis Exercise Programmes in individual classes or in groups to help build strength, balance and particularly confidence building measures after, for instance, a fragility fracture. The Physiotherapy specialist will design a programme tailored for individual needs that can be done under guidance in the gym or at home.